Woman gets one-year jail term for theft arrest

A woman whose apparent theft attempt was thwarted by an alert neighbor in December received a jail term.

Rebecca Jean McReynolds was sentenced to a year in jail Monday in Taft Branch of Kern County Superior Court. She was also placed on 3 years probation and fined $350

McReynolds was arrested on the playground at Parkview School on Dec. 28. Kern County Sheriff's deputies took her into custody after a witness, Dan Lee, saw her trying to steal items from a home on the 600 block of B Street.

Lee, an employee of the West Kern Water District, used the radio in his truck to have coworkers call law enforcement and then followed her as she fled, relaying her location.

McReynolds was arrested without incident on the school playground.

She had stolen mail in her possession and had discarded other items when she fled, according to the KCSO.

There were no students on campus because they were out for Christmas vacation.